It Was Worth It
by Emerald Kitten
Summary: It had been too damn long since Daryl had seen her smile. In his opinion it was high time someone did something to put that smile back on Carol's face. Fluffy fic set before the beginning of Season 4. Written as a Secret Santa gift on tumblr.


It had been weeks since he'd last seen Carol smile. Daryl never realized how much he looked forward to seeing the simple occurrence until one day when it didn't happen. The new additions of the Woodbury folks combined with the various survivors that Daryl seemed to have a knack for finding whenever he ventured outside the safety of the wire fences put a strain on Carol more that everyone else in their ragtag family. The hunter watched silently as the woman ran herself ragged handling the influx of new residents calling the prison their home. Used to be that Carol could go the whole day without someone bothering her for any reason. Now the woman was lucky to get five minutes to herself before collapsing from exhaustion on her bunk at the end of the night. Not that she always made it back to her bunk anyway. There had been more than one occasion when Daryl had found her slumped over a table in the library, snoring softly as she lay surround by maps of neighboring county's not yet looted that their group might salvage supplies from.

Those nights always ended with Daryl sweeping her up in his arms and carrying the overworked woman back to her own cell. She never asked how she managed to wake safely tucked into her own bunk every morning and Daryl never told but he suspected she knew damn well how she always ended up back there. The mornings after he'd find her in the library she always made sure to give him an extra spoonful of whatever was passing for breakfast.

Damn woman did everything to make sure everyone else was taken care of, she never took the time to take care of herself. The fact that she never had any downtime led Daryl to make an impulse decision one afternoon that straddled the line between reckless and insane.

It started off as him wanting to do something nice for her, simple as that. She spent so much time looking after the needs of others, cooking and cleaning and schooling the growing number of kids calling the prison their home that she never did anything just for herself anymore. If Daryl needed time to himself he just headed out to hunt. Carol didn't have that luxury of escaping into the woods whenever the noise and demands at the prison got too much. She needed an escape within the prison. She needed something that, even if interrupted, she could return to and lose herself in instantly.

It had been too damn long since he'd seen her smile. In his opinion it was high time someone did something to put that smile back on her face.

It wasn't until he'd overheard Carol telling Maggie how she missed reading romance novels that a plan started to hatch in his head. He'd listened to the two woman as they chatted away, his presence hidden from them in the shadowy doorway of the neighboring cell he'd ducked into. Standing there in the dark listening to a private conversation between the two women made him feel like a real lowlife but once he'd heard the lighthearted tone Carol's voice took when she started talking about her favorite authors and all the books she missed reading Daryl couldn't move. It had been too damn long since he'd heard her sound that happy about anything. He missed the jokes and smiles she'd normally send his way.

Those jokes and smiles had been few and far between since she started shouldering more responsibility at the prison, until finally one day she'd been too frazzled to even quirk her mouth at him in greeting.

It wasn't a secret that Carol liked to read. Daryl had known of her love for books for quite some time now. She'd been the one to institute story time for the kids at the prison after all. Daryl had even been guilty of slipping into the room and listening to her read aloud to the children once or twice. The way she read aloud the kids he could tell she was enjoying it just as much as they were.

When it had just been their core group living at the prison not a night went by when the faint glow of a lantern seeped out around the edges of the sheet she'd hung across her cell door for privacy, indicating that she was reading well into the late hours. It was the one luxury she had allowed herself then.

That glow had been missing from her doorway since Daryl had brought in the first batch of survivors from the outside months back. Part of it was due to lack of time to pursue such matters. The other part was that the books she longed to lose herself in weren't going to be found in the prison library.

When Daryl heard her and Maggie talking about books knew exactly what he needed to do to put the smile back on her face.

The conversation between Carol and Maggie hadn't lasted long, but he'd heard enough to know the types of books she missed reading weren't gonna be found in the library of a men's correctional facility. She wanted to read books where the chick was saved by some hero type guy who'd sweep her off her feet and they'd ride off into the sunset together and live happily ever after.

There weren't no happily ever after's no more, not in the seven layers of Hell they fought to survive day after day. Daryl figured the least he could do was return to her a slither of happiness. Anything to bring that smile back to her face. It wasn't like he knew anything about making a woman happy; that shit had been Merle's department. He also guessed stories of Cherokee roses weren't all that romantic neither. So he did the only thing he could think of to make her smile.

Next chance he got to slip out of the prison he was going to find her some new books. And he knew just where to find exactly what she'd been missing.

He'd spotted the bookstore when he and Sasha scouted the Big Spot only the week before. He hadn't paid it much mind then; they'd been searching for food and medical supplies, not Shakespeare. But now that he knew where to find the sort of books she missed reading he was going to make it a point to head back to that town on his own.

There was no way in hell he was taking anyone else with him on his run. He'd never hear the end of it if Michonne or Glenn caught wind of his plan to go shopping for trashy romance novels. In all honesty he had no idea if the books Carol missed reading were classed as trashy or not but judging from the few comments he'd heard her make to Maggie about what used to go on between those pages it was safe bet the books were basically porn for chicks. He'd pick her up some of the classics he'd heard her speak of longingly too. Books by people long dead for hundreds of years. Not that he knew that much about those sorts of books, but if she decided to read them aloud to the children he'd definitely make time to sneak into story time again and hide behind the bookshelves while she span the tales of heroes past.

If everything went according to plan that smile that he'd come to rely on so much would be back where it belonged real soon.

* * *

The morning after overhearing the conversation between the two women Daryl mounted his bike and lit out of the prison yard like a bat out of hell. He didn't want to risk anyone getting wind of his leaving in case he inherited a tagalong for the trip. His plan for a quick exit didn't go down exactly according to plan though. One person had noticed his hasty departure from breakfast and now stood between him and the gate, blocking his escape.

Daryl slowed the bike to a stop, letting it idle as he rested his feet on the ground and regarded the woman standing before him. It figured she'd be the one to notice something was off with him.

The early morning sunlight hit her from behind, casting her face in shadow. Still had enough light to make out the fact she still wasn't smiling. Damn woman looked beat. What she needed was a solid day and night of not dealing with everyone else's shit.

"Going out?" Carol asked quietly. There was a sadness in her voice when she spoke that hadn't been there a week ago.

Now he felt like an asshole. He could tell she was disappointed he had planned to leave without so much as a _goodbye_ passing between them. They had a closeness that the other members of their family weren't privy to. Normally he would seek her out before leaving, whether it was for a run or a hunt. This time was different though. Daryl hadn't wanted to risk seeing Carol before he left. The woman always had a way of knowing what was going on in his head before the thoughts even popped in there. He didn't want to run the risk of her working out the exact reason why he was going away. He knew she'd try and talk him out of doing this for her. Damned woman gave and gave and gave and never took nothing in return.

"Yeah," he kicked at the ground with the toe of his boot, anxious to put his plan in motion and get away from her supernatural mind-reading powers. "Goin' out to check on them snares Rick set up yesterday." It wasn't that much of stretch; their former leader had started venturing out into the forest in search of game. Snares weren't that bad neither for a beginner.

Carol's head bobbed up and down lightly as she processed his reason for leaving. "Stay safe," she uttered softly, mimicking the parting phrase he'd taken saying to her.

"Always do." Daryl nodded swiftly before replying. He wouldn't return the 'nine lives' portion of the exchange they'd shared months ago before he'd left to rescue Glenn and Maggie from Woodbury. That portion of the goodbye was reserved for Carol's exclusive use only in his mind.

The corner of Carol's mouth threatened to tug upwards but the action didn't reach her eyes. Her face fell back into the previous exhausted expression she'd been wearing lately as she stood to the side to allow him forward. The hunter roared past her, thankful that she hadn't pressed the matter of his sudden departure. If she went to Rick and checked his story Daryl would be up shit creek though- the former Sherriff's Deputy had been out to check the snares already at dawn.

* * *

It didn't take long to reach the sleepy town sporting the Big Spot. The ride had gone off without a hitch- that should have been his first clue that something was bound to go wrong. It was rare for him to fly down the highway without a herd of geeks trailing after him in droves like moths being drawn to the flame.

The entire area had been deserted long ago it seemed. Car's sat abandoned in the streets, the doors thrown wide open when the occupants had fled, presumably from the threat of walkers descending on them. The roar of his bike echoed through the abandoned town, bouncing off buildings as he quickly maneuvered through the traffic snarl to reach his destination. The building he was heading for lay in the center of town, right on Main Street. As he picked his way past the maze of mangled metal he couldn't help but wonder where all the inhabitants of the town had ran to. The temporary military base at the Big Spot was long deserted, but even then there hadn't been enough room or supplies to hold many over for that long.

It seemed like the entire population had just up and disappeared. A lot of that had been going 'round since the world went to hell, but the quiet in this town seemed different. It seemed too absolute.

Daryl angled his bike close to the entryway of the bookstore, pulling to a stop with just enough room to peel out of there in a flash. With no back-up on this run there was no use backing himself into a corner if push came to shove and things went south all of a sudden.

The surrounding land was silent. Not even the chirping of birds in the trees could be heard. The unnatural quiet put the hunter on edge instantly. In a world that was now silent by standard, the eerie still that enveloped the town was too unsettling for Daryl. Not even the sound of animals rustling in the foliage could be heard. It was like a wet blanket had been draped over the town, muffling any sounds or light from penetrating within. This place gave him the creeps. He wanted nothing more than to get the fuck out of there as quick as possible, but before he could leave he had some business to attend to.

He pushed open the front door to the store gently, but his stealthy efforts were in vain when the sound of a ringing bell that was situated over the entryway announced his presence to anything that happened to be living or dead in the vicinity. He paused, his ears pricking up to catch any sign that he had company. The silence that met him inside the store was as complete as the silence outside had been.

He'd come here with the express purpose of getting Carol some books, and he was damned if a little quiet was going to scare him away from completing his task.

The store was empty. Weren't that surprising really- who'd hole up at the place where books were kept? It offered no medical supplies or food. Aside from a fine layer of dust blanketing the front counter the place looked untouched.

Daryl made his way quickly around the store, collecting volumes he was certain that would interest the overworked woman back at the prison. Aside from the complete works of some chick he'd found in the classic section he also picked up a couple of what he assumed were sappy romance shit. Books with pussy-looking bare-chested douchebags on the covers that women always seemed to go gaga over.

She'd told Maggie she wanted romance books and that was exactly what she was going to get. When he got back and presented his gift to her he was going to lock her ass in a cell and forbid anyone from disturbing her for at least a full day. Carol was going to get some rest if he had to chain her to the bed to do it.

Daryl had just tucked the last book into pocket of his vest when he heard the distinct shuffle of feet stumbling up behind him. He whipped around, his crossbow raised and ready to shoot the walker that had managed to get the drop on him. The sight that greeted Daryl wasn't exactly what he had expected.

The front half of the store now held a dozen or so walkers, all coming his way. He didn't have to wonder were the inhabitants of this burrow went to anymore, a good chunk of the town's populous had just managed to find him. The re-animated corpses had caught his scent and where headed straight for him. Him ringing that doorbell probably hadn't helped matters either. Wouldn't have been that much of an issue except for the fact the mini-herd was standing between Daryl and the only exit the building held. Now in the quest for books he'd managed to drop his own ass in a pile of shit so deep he wasn't even sure he would get out of this one intact.

He hadn't told anyone where he was going when he left the prison, nor did he take anyone with him for backup.

He was officially up the creak without a paddle now. Merle would be rolling over in his grave if he knew Daryl was risking his ass for a bunch of books with long-haired pretty boys on the covers.

This was a fucking joke. Ever since that day he'd carried Carol out of the tombs, her dehydrated and barely alive Daryl had made a point to tell the woman to stay safe whenever he went out on a run or off with Michonne in search of the Governor. Him getting stranded in a bookstore when he was doing something for her was like the universe giving him the finger that he was the one up shit creek while she was sitting pretty, safely holed up behind the barb wire of the prison fences while he was risking his ass over a couple of paperbacks.

What the hell had he been thinking?

If he managed to survive this cluster-fuck maybe he'd start heeding his own advice and aiming to stay safe himself. No more death-wish treks into the wilderness with Michonne searching for the one-eyed bastard who'd ripped their lives apart. No sir, if Daryl got out of this one alive he planned to stay nice and safe himself back at the prison for a good long while.

Daryl whipped his head around, searching for an exit he could take advantage of. The group of walkers had effectively created a solid wall between the front door and himself. It would have been a suicide mission to drive in head-first to try and fight his way through, not singlehandedly. You couldn't survive on your own no more.

Out of the corner of his eye the hunter caught sight of a small window perched high above a bookshelf to his far right. If he used the shelves as a makeshift ladder he'd be able to reach the window and hopefully smash his way through it. There wasn't really any other options available at that point, not with the only door filling with more walkers shuffling in from outside. Shooting his way out wasn't going to work neither; the herd would be all over him before he could load one bolt in his crossbow.

"Fuck it," he huffed before making a break for the bookshelf and the window that could lead to his freedom. Three large strides and he was across the room. He swung his bow across his back before heaving himself up hand-over-hand towards the window that looked barely bigger than a dog door.

He threw a glance over his shoulder, checking on the situation behind. The walkers were close to the shelf now and tightly packed around him. There wasn't time to crawl down and find another out. One way or another he was going out that window.

Daryl reached to his hip and drew out the buck knife he kept strapped there. Flipping it so he was using the blade as a handle, he smashed the hilt against the grimy window baring his freedom. It took a couple of solid whacks but he managed to eventually shatter the pane, sending a shower of shards outside to fall to the ground below. The sound of the glass raining down broke through the unnatural silence enveloping the town.

The hunter pushed himself up and out the window, dropping hard onto the unforgiving Earth below. A sharp pain tore through his right leg when the limb connected with the ground. The source of the pain was easy to locate; his pants were torn and a jagged cut snaked along his calf. He stood, testing the extent of the damage. He could still walk, but walking wasn't an option in a world where running was the only mode of transportation.

The injury wouldn't stop him from riding back to the prison. No way in hell.

He hobbled back to his bike and peeled out of the town without a backwards glance. By some miracle he'd managed to get out of there in one piece and hauling the precious cargo that had been the whole reason for his run in the first place.

The ride back to the prison was difficult to maneuver but not impossible to complete. He'd had to take it slow on account of his leg but other than that the trip had been easy. Still no walkers showed along the roadside in response to the motorcycles loud engines. The lack of walkers bothered Daryl but he wasn't about to stop and track some down. He had more important shit to do like get back home, get Hershel to stitch up his leg and then track down Carol.

Just 'cause Daryl had been fool enough not to pay attention to his surroundings didn't mean he was giving up on the plan to get those books to the woman. Didn't matter what he'd done to himself, she still needed a night off from the pressure of the prison population.

Finally the prison towers were in sight. The gates opened without prompting, allowing the redneck to roll in easily.

He made it back to his cell without running into anyone. Just as he sat down on his bunk to examine how badly the damage to his leg was he heard a subtle knock against the metal of his doorframe.

"How did the-" Carol rushed into the room, dropping down to her knees before him. "What happened?" she asked, going instantly into caregiver mode.

"It's nothing," he responded, trying to hide the injury from her worried eyes.

He didn't move fast enough though and Carol was able to see that his leg wasn't nothing like he'd tried telling her.

"Your leg," she started, catching sight of the dried bloodstain trailing down his knee.

"Be alright. Just a scratch."

She glance up from his leg to his face and raised an eyebrow at his attempt to downplay the situation. "The snares do this to you?" she quipped before returning her gaze to inspect the damage.

Daryl tried to shift on the bunk in an effort to maneuver himself away from her. He'd left the prison to get something for her and now thanks to his inability to keep an ear trained on him surroundings she had more stress to deal with. He knew she worried about his safety. She told him to stay safe and he hadn't even been able to do that for her.

As Daryl moved his knee in an effort to get away from Carol's prying eyes the books he'd been carrying in his vest slipped free from the interior pockets and fell to the floor with a soft thump.

"What…" she started, picking up one of the paperbacks and turning it almost reverently in her hand.

Daryl shrugged, his hand going to his mouth to chew on the nail of his thumb. One by one Carol picked up the novels he'd selected for her, looking at each of them with something akin to wonder. Eventually she tore her gaze away from the books, but Daryl noted she held them against her chest like them were some sort of discovered treasure. She sat back on her heals, patiently waiting for his explanation of what exactly was going on.

"Heard you and Maggie talkin' yesterday 'bout how you wanted some books. Figured I'd go on a run."

"Books?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder. "You brought me books?"

The more he thought about it, the more he realized this was a stupid idea. Why the fuck would she want books around anyway? Poor woman had enough to deal with without Daryl hauling shit into her life that she probably wouldn't even want. Daryl dipped his head in an effort to hide the heat he felt spreading across his face. "Ain't that big of a deal. If you don't like-"

His voice was instantly silenced when Carol threw herself at him, enveloping him in her embrace. The books were pressed between them but Daryl barely registered the small rectangular objects. All he could feel was the warm body of the small woman who had just flung herself into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, her arm tightening around his neck.

The feeling of Carol's breath fanning over him like that sent a wave of goose bumps across his skin. Daryl shuddered at the sensation but didn't make a move to untangle himself from the woman who'd latched herself onto him like a fat kid with a candy bar. He raised a hesitant arm and draped it loosely around her, patting her back awkwardly. He was never sure of how to touch her. How tight was too tight. He never wanted to be responsible for hurting her.

Eventually he felt Carol's body pulling away from his own and Daryl felt the sudden urge to pull her back against his chest. He'd never been a hugger but the feeling of Carol's arms around him just felt so right.

She stood abruptly and headed to the door. Daryl panicked for a second that he'd done something wrong with the hug but the look on her face sent those fears packing instantly. Never before in his life had he seen her smile as brightly as she was doing right now. One simple act transformed Carol back to the playful and full of life woman he knew so well. He realized at that moment that he's missed _that_ Carol more than he'd ever admit to anyone.

Carol wiped her hand across her cheek, sweeping away a smattering of tears that had escaped her eyes. She looked so damned happy at that moment. Daryl knew it was worth the cut on his leg to get that reaction out of her.

"I'll get the peroxide and fix up that leg. Don't go anywhere," she said before disappearing around the corner and out of the room, the books still hugged tightly to her chest.

Next week when he and Sasha took a larger group back to the Big Spot Daryl planned on making another visit to that bookstore. He'd get someone to give him a hand clearing the place this time. He didn't give a shit if any of them saw him picking out books for Carol if it meant making her happy. If it took doing a run every week to get her those god-awful romance novels was all it took to put that smile back on her face he wouldn't think twice about hitting that bookstore again.

Risking his ass to see her smile like that was worth it every time.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. This was written as a Secret Santa gift for schizotrichia on tumblr. Her favourite episode was 'Cherokee Rose' and her favourite moment was 'Stay Safe' so I decided to incorporate the sweet and caring side of Daryl that we saw in those episodes. My main goal was to deliver something fluffy so I hope I accomplished that.**


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